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February 12, 2016

Festively fun 1950s Catch-a-Valentine Cake recipe

It occurred to me recently just how much I love baking and making sweets for Valentine's Day. As a day where all things dolce are celebrated and noshed upon, I'm certainly not alone here, but I think part of why St. Val's Day desserts jump out at me so much is because, generally speaking, this is a holiday where sweet really, really reigns supreme.

There are arguably not a ton of standard savoury dishes for this day (though those with aphrodisiacal qualities, such as raw oysters, have long been firm favourites for a Feb. 14th dinner, as have been luxurious eats such as steak, lobster, and lamb), where sugary treats come out on top and most of us, even those who often eat very health consciously, are apt to indulge in something sweet, fun and tongue pleasingly wonderful.

I generally whip up one or more chocolate dishes for Valentine's Day, but I love anything pink or red as well, from tinted popcorn balls to homemade marshmallows to frosting topped sugar cookies. Today's mid-century recipe for the smile-inducingly named Catch-a-Valentine Cake has pink in spades and would be equally lovely for Easter, Mother's Day, a bridal or baby shower, birthday party, wedding or anniversary.

Fabulously simple to make, yet wonderfully impressive looking, this festive take on a classic marble cake (with two different coloured versions of the same cake batter, as opposed to two separate flavours of cake, though you could certainly use extracts to flavour one or both of them, if so desired) is a cinch to whip up and a fun treat for any February 14th related celebration.

Valentine's Day itself might not be everyone's cup of (sweetened) tea, but most of us will agree that our eyes turn as wide as saucers when desserts celebrating this festive occasion are laid out before us, be they at home, in a restaurant or at the local grocery store.

This cake - which can easily be made GF by using your favourite store bought white or golden gluten-free cake mix - is free of chocolate, so it's a good choice for those who might be unable to eat it to to medical reason or simply not a fan. It's one of those delightful vintage cake recipes that looks fancy, but is not at all complicated and which most home cooks can successfully put together and bring to the table, where a chorus of cheers is bound to erupt from excited diners.

If you can't find candy hearts of any sort for the top, strawberry slices can easily be formed to make a heart shape and tiny food cutters (such as this lovely little set) can be used to cut hearts and other shapes from berries and many other fruits (and vegetables), too.

I hope that as Valentine's Day draws near, you'll get a chance to indulge in a sweet treat that truly brings you culinary joy, be it a classic cake like this 1950s gem, a decadent box of mixed chocolates, a rich soufflé, a refreshing ice cream sundae, a luscious fruit tart, a fragrant cinnamon bun, a crunchy French macaron, or anything else that - rather fittingly, one might say - your heart desires. I know I will be! :)

*PS*Thank you deeply to each of you for your understanding and kindhearted blog comments regarding the recent death of my computer. As the new one I ordered from Dell on Feb. 3rd hasn't even shipped yet (*le sigh*),

I'm thinking that - best case - I'll be receiving it on the three week end of the delivery time estimate I was given when I ordered. As mentioned in my post here last week, I am still online, just substantially less as I'm making due with accessing the web just from my phone. Hopefully my new laptop will get here soon and I can slip right back into my usual online routine (complete with a tons of catching up!).

32 comments:

For me Valentine's day has always been more about the sweet treats than anything else! However, it seems to have creeped up on my this year and I haven't even thought about anything to bake. This cake looks pretty incredible! And I just love those fun vintage descriptions.

I hear you there big time! I usually remember to post a festive recipe or two, but actually finding the time to prepare a Valentine's Day feast (or even just a fancy dessert) can be a whole 'nother matter entirely, especially this year with everything that's been going on in our lives in recent months. I do have all the ingredients needed for a few things (cheesecake, trifle, apple pie, etc) to hand though, so hopefully I can whip up something later today just in the nick of time. :)

More cake, you really spoil us. I adore cake, it's so indulgent. Here in Britain, we love it with a cup of tea. For someone who loves Britishness, our stiff upper lip attitude and pomp and ceremony all over the place, I really am not a tea drinker. I love the idea and il have the odd cup now and then but, I can't seem to love it. I prefer iced tea. O well, I do love cake though, that is for sure. Loved your interview on the Boyer Sisters site. Wishing you all the happiness in the world my dear xx

Thank you ever so much, my dear friend. I tend to find considerably more vintage dessert recipes online than I do savoury mid-century offerings, so you can bank on a steady stream of sweet treats at "Cafe CV". :)

What a delicious looking pink bomb. No V-day for us Danes, but I could easily whip up this cake any other time of year. How irritating that your new pc is late, let's cross fingers you'll get it soon, dear. Wishing you a lovely weekend. :)

Absolutely! It would be splendid for Easter or Mother's Day as well, if we're thinking about springtime celebrations in particular.

Thank you very much. It isn't per se late yet, but I am getting a touch concerned about the fact that it hasn't even shipped out at this point. Tony and I agreed that if I haven't gotten an email informing me of such come the end of Monday, we'll be on the horn with them bright and early Tuesday morning (as that will be a day shy of two weeks from when I placed my order on Feb. 3rd). Hopefully it will ship this weekend, but only time will tell.

Thank you as well for all of your wonderful recent comments. I appreciate them - and you - immensely.

Hello Jessica,Meanwhile, I hope to solve soon the problems with your computer! Here, too, we had a complicated period, between cars, internet and other boring things .. even for all these reasons I hope to live a peaceful and enjoyable weekend! This cake is really tasty and lovely, I love the rose is so reassuring, as well as romantic! Also I'm greedy almond and vanilla! These days I'm eating very healthy (today, for lunch, just pasta with cauliflower, curcuma and pine nuts) and I try to play sports (although here it's cold and always raining) so ... Sunday I will be able to enjoy a wonderful cake like this! I wish you a beautiful Valentine!

Oh dear, I'm really sorry to hear about the tidal wave of issues that has been hitting the shores of your life lately, too, sweet dear. Here's to hope that the second half of February is worlds better for both of us - starting with a terrific St. Valentine's Day celebration this weekend.

Oh no, as you know, I was away from computers, so I didn't know about your computer! I hope it comes soon! I have a Dell that I haven't used for years, but when I did it was very good! I have to say that I loooved this photo, the cake looks amazing and delicious! I love sweets, so I would have loved it even with purple and green and blue balls, but truly, it looks so beautiful!DenisesPlanet.com

The tail end of your comment made me burst out in a big smile. So true, so true! Though I do have more of a "salty tooth" than a sweet one, I love a good dessert every now and then, too, especially when the holidays roll around.

Oh, that's so rough. I'm really sorry that your DH's computer bit the dust as well. It's amazing, you know. We spend so much on these devices and barely get - if we're lucky! - a few years out of most of them. As much as I adore and appreciate modern technology, something about that fact will never entirely sit right with a vintage adoring gal like me.

Thank you sweetly, dear Akram. I do as well. I'd figured I would have at least received an email saying it had shipped by this point, but no dice. Tony and I agreed that it we haven't gotten one by the end of Monday, we'll ring them up pronto on Tuesday morning.

You're so caring, Ally. Thank you very much. I've naturally had to scale back a lot, but am still trying to keep up with things like blog comments here on my site and the most pressing of my emails as best I can. Still, far from ideal and not how I expected this February to unfold in the slightest. That's life though - curveballs and all, and things could of course be worlds worst, so I can't really complain (though I am a bit surprised my new laptop hasn't even so much as shipped yet - super soon, I hope!).

I wish I was at your house for Valentines! I can't say no to a sweet treat... I've never really associate the holiday with anything other than chocolate, but this seems an oversight now in the presence of this magnificent cake. Pink marbling - what a great idea <3 Hope your computer hurries up and arrives, how endlessly frustrating that it hasn't shipped yet!! x

Joyful Valentine's Day greetings and wishes, sweet CiCi! Growing up my mom always made frosted (heart shaped) sugar cookies and usually a cake, cupcakes, or another dessert that was Valentine's related, but that didn't necessarily involve chocolate, so I think I've just subconsciously carried on the tradition. :)

We're giving them until tomorrow night to send an email saying that it has shipped out and if such hasn't shown up in my inbox yet, we'll be giving them a call bright and early on Tuesday morning (as Tues will be one day short of two full weeks since I placed my order). Hopefully they'll ship really soon! At this rate, it's looking like I might be lucky if it gets here in three weeks (the long end of their 2 - 3 week delivery estimate at the time the order was placed).

I hope that your weekend is going splendidly and that you've having a joyful holiday!

this is a impressive looking cake!but because i try to cut short with sweets i´ll make some goodies from veggies and potatoes and cheese..... :-)happy valentines day for you and tony!!! <3 <3 <3 xxxxxxxxx

That sounds every bit as delicious to me, lovely Beate. I enjoy a great dessert every now and then for sure (and really enjoy blogging about them), but I've always had more of a "savoury tooth" than a sweet one.

I hope that you and R. have a marvelous celebration and a great second half of February!

Thank you very much, sweet Theresa. It is a bit surprising that my new computer hasn't even shipped yet. Granted they did clearly state 2 - 3 weeks estimated delivery time when I ordered, but I thought (back then on the 3rd) that it would have had least shipped by now. So far, not as of this morning. If I haven't received an email informing me of such by tomorrow night, I'll be on the horn with them bright and early Tuesday morning, at the very least to try and ensure there haven't been any delays or such with my order.

Jess,For a kind and graceful friend like you, I will patiently wait for as long as it takes, 'cause not only that you deserve it, but that I know what a pain-in-the-*** computer components can be! :)..Reading this post, I have remembered what my grandma used to say "Sponge cake is everything". At that time I did not understand it - but as time passed and I stared getting her words: start with regular sponge, add this and that and you'll end up with something amazing. Like this cake right here.A bit of food coloring makes all the difference, and suddenly your guests get to say "I eat colors" :)

Sweet Marija, you are such a kindhearted person. Thank you very much for your understanding and patience. I am rather surprised that my new laptop hasn't even so much as shipped yet. We're giving things until tomorrow night and if I still haven't received an email saying that it has shipped out, we'll give them a call on Tuesday morning. Granted, I was told at the time I placed my order that it would take 2 - 3 weeks to arrive, but I am a bit surprised it hasn't even shipped yet and definitely want to make sure that there's no hold ups on Dell's end that I haven't been informed of (hopefully not!).

Wise words indeed from your grandma. Sponge cakes are incredibly versatile and easy, so there something every home chef can be really well served by.

Please know that you're in my thoughts and that I am sending you countless joyful Valentine's Day wishes, my dear friend.

Gorgeous cake and so right you are about how our eyes turn as big as saucers when delicious looking sweets are laid out in front of us. For me I think the combination of pink and red desserts for Valentine's day is the most fun! It reminds me of the fun of being a little kid in school during this holiday! <3

I'm Jessica, a lifelong lover of all things antique and vintage, especially those from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

This blog is my visual scrapbook in which I record and share my thoughts on the multitude of sources, people and products that inspire and feed a modern gal's addiction to the past. I also post about the vintage clothes, hairstyles and make-up looks that I adore wearing.

Stay a spell and have a blast as we explore the incomparably fantastic world of vintage history and fashion together.

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